Posted By: Barry Williams (15/02/2008 10:12:33 AM)
Comment: We need Isaac. He is a stud and the kind of guy we want 49ers to be like. Hard working, play maker with no off field issues.

Posted By: ScottMcCloughin (13/02/2008 10:01:00 PM)
Comment: Sopoaga, Isaac: Scheduled UFA - Helped himself with a solid season. Niners should've signed him to extension a year ago. Now, he figures to get pretty nice contract. Yep, sounds like a top 5 DT to me

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (13/02/2008 9:44:14 PM)
Comment: I feel like many of you do, DLine is weak, keep all the bodies you can. Truth is, business as usual isn't getting it done. I seem to recall reading a comment from Nolan that Soap was not the perfect fit, and that he sought Franklin to improve that position? I can see this scenario as a time for change and perhaps a chance to get the edge rusher in FA and perhaps taking some depth picks in the Draft. Soap is solid enough, and young enough to keep around, but at a reasonable price. Scot knows that and will spend wisely. We recoup money from BY, DSmith, and possibly Jennings. We can take that into FA and improve some components in areas of need. A FA signing may not happen ahead of the Draft, so if neither Soap or Marques remains unsigned it certainly would influence the Draft Board. Berger, I mentioned Kenny King in Baltimore as the 'untagged guy' alongside Suggs, I know nothing about his style of play, but certainly Nolan would, (and we all know his track record when it comes to plucking their roster). I come from the old school mentality that believes completely in line play dictating game tempo. I can see some Day 2 picks devoted to bolstering the line rotation on either side. I would not be surprised to see us pursue a FA OLineman and devote picks 1 & 2 to the defensive cause either. At 29 & 39 we should be in great shape to improve what needs to be improved. Soap will get a fair offer, it's the agent that decides to play the market.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (13/02/2008 7:53:29 PM)
Comment: Just a few words...TED WASHINGTON. I don't want to see this happen again. We dumped the guy and he went on to be a solid to dominant lineman in the NFL for what, 17 years. 375lbs...that is a nose tackle. What would this team have been like if him and BY had been playing together for the last ten years? Lets do the right thing and keep what we got. Deal with the "known quantity." FA's are always a risk and you overpay for the unknown.

Posted By: Ivan (San Mateo) (13/02/2008 5:42:33 PM)
Comment: Those of you who think that Sopoaga isn't worth the franchise tag because of him not starting every game, just read the articles of the two Matt's. http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=729057&mode= http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/009981.html

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (13/02/2008 2:58:27 PM)
Comment: Hey 9ersfaithful - Bill Walsh is credited with bringing the concept of "light low impact and contract practices to the NFL to save his team for game days and to save his team for late season playoff runs. His concept was to not wear his players down during the week. Since Walsh, a number of coaches around the NFL have followed this practice philosophy. I would like your feedback on why it was excellent and innovative for Bill Walsh yet now Mike Nolan should get fired for it in your opinion.

Posted By: tgflynn (13/02/2008 2:56:58 PM)
Comment: My wish list for Dline would be Justin Smith, Ray MacDonald and Sopoaga at DE. I really think Sopoaga is best suited as a one-gap DT ala Warren Sapp but he still would be useful on passing downs and in the DE rotation. As to the size of both Smith and Macdonald similar size seemed to work fine for BY. At NT Franklin and maybe Red Bryant out of Texas A&M, if we can get him reasonably and Fields has worked there also. Early last year the question was would Sopoaga make the squad, now he's indispensable, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Don't get wrong I think Sopoaga is talented but football like life is full of tough choices.

Posted By: 9ersfaithful (13/02/2008 2:11:53 PM)
Comment: I am tired of this and that about this Sopoaga being not resign by the 9ers last summer, but the main thing is; is that Coaching staff espeacially Nolan he is the reason of putting the 9ers down, with all of you talk about not worthy of this Sopoaga kid, let me tell you something; just shut up! If you're given more playing time, there's no doubt that you'll gain more and more experiences as you go along, so; Nolan, when I went to see practice the other day, Nolan do not want the d-line to rough up the o-line on the field and that's wrong! He was talking to Sopoaga to slow it down cause it's only practice, that's totally wrong! Practice hard, it will prepare your mind and body and to expect the unexpected on the game day, not the lallabye baby. So, Nolan is holding back the talents on this great players, what I think; fired Nolan and his staff but not coach Tomsula; as for Sopoaga; give him 12mil contract w/5.5mil bonus for 5year extension. Coach Nolan he's got to go, this is no Raven turf that you can sign all the raven to rebuild the 9ER nation, raven suck!!! GO NINER!!!!!!

Posted By: 9ersfaithful (13/02/2008 2:11:44 PM)
Comment: I am tired of this and that about this Sopoaga being not resign by the 9ers last summer, but the main thing is; is that Coaching staff espeacially Nolan he is the reason of putting the 9ers down, with all of you talk about not worthy of this Sopoaga kid, let me tell you something; just shut up! If you're given more playing time, there's no doubt that you'll gain more and more experiences as you go along, so; Nolan, when I went to see practice the other day, Nolan do not want the d-line to rough up the o-line on the field and that's wrong! He was talking to Sopoaga to slow it down cause it's only practice, that's totally wrong! Practice hard, it will prepare your mind and body and to expect the unexpected on the game day, not the lallabye baby. So, Nolan is holding back the talents on this great players, what I think; fired Nolan and his staff but not coach Tomsula; as for Sopoaga; give him 12mil contract w/5.5mil bonus for 5year extension. Coach Nolan he's got to go, this is no Raven turf that you can sign all the raven to rebuild the 9ER nation, raven suck!!! GO NINER!!!!!!

Posted By: http:// (13/02/2008 2:08:10 PM)
Comment: Sopanga is a back-up, Franchise player? LOL! Just goes to show you the lack of talent on this team. Three years have passed since McNolan came here and we still have a poor O-Line & D-Line.

Posted By: Moses (13/02/2008 1:42:33 PM)
Comment: So Ratcliff got money. The Pope's a Catholic. Neither make up for the fact that Ratcliff is better, by a long shot, than Sopoaga. According to the geek-boys at Football Outsiders, the middle of the Cowboys line was 13th best in stopping Middle Runs. The 49ers 26th. And that was with Sopoaga unable to take the job from the below-average Franklin. So, resigning a back-up NT that lead to being 26th against up-the-middle runs? I. Do. Not. Care. He's had four years to show something. To date it's been a few flashes, but nothing consistent.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 1:17:53 PM)
Comment: StonerLab..i am with you....i wish they won't overpay but what is the definition of overpay, it changes every year....SOAP might be overpaid with this yr contract, but being realistic that will change next season and the season after......if we don't pay the guy, someone else will. And we will be back to square one, dealing with players with potential......I see a guy that has grown and i see no reason why he won't keep getting better.

Posted By: StonerLab (13/02/2008 1:06:49 PM)
Comment: I'm simply saying oneniner that the 49ers shouldn't over pay to keep Soap. I would like him to stay at a reasonable price that's all. On that matter, it'll be interesting to see what team if any will be bidding for Soap's services & at what price. I honestly don't think he'll be as hot of a commodity as everyone seems to think. Afterall he did play for the 49ers & I just don't see alot of quality FA help for other teams coming from the 49ers defensive unit.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (13/02/2008 1:04:49 PM)
Comment: oneniner: Sorry, I like Nate and think he is money well spent, I wasn't that clear. it's all the contract stuff that other people keep yelling about that's annoying. $80 mil, blah, blah...no mention that his last year voided recently

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 1:02:23 PM)
Comment: What are the chances Martz brings in Trent Green as our 3rd QB ?

Posted By: Berger (13/02/2008 12:35:33 PM)
Comment: Stonerlab-Justin Smith would be good, even though he would be a 275-280lb DE in a 3-4. Usually considered a bit small. But who's to say we are going to be able to out bid everybody else for his services. We will definately have to over pay for a player who is not perfect for our system, unless we change to the 4-3. Sopoaga is in house. At least make the guy an offer. If he walks, he walks. If Nolan lets him walk without any effort, I give up on this coach. It is too hard to develop a quality D-line to just let talent like Adams and Sopoaga just walk out the door with zero effert to keep tham.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 12:28:27 PM)
Comment: I personally have alot of respect for D.Smith but the truth is ..he his no R.Lewis....and he was not the cornerstone of our defense, BY was the cornerstone until the day he retired....now its up to willis the beast.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 12:24:22 PM)
Comment: StonerLab..i am talking reality.....the pros out weigh the cons....the truth is i would luv to see what we have from last yr's draft but the fact is those kids can't be better than soap......you also stated "Coupled with what we can do in FA & this years draft"....SOAP is the number one Dline FA we would be able to afford and that is only because he wants to remain a niner. and the niners draft board is weak in terms of Dlineman....am tired of the potential talk every offseason...if dallas can sign a backup to 5yr-$20.5mil....why can't we?....especially since SOAP is more of an asset to us compared to how important ratliff is to the cowboys. Soap has paid his dues, he has grown from a potential draft pick to a serious candidate in FA. That is reality.

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (13/02/2008 12:20:54 PM)
Comment: T.O. wanted out and got out of SF. We didn't "let him go" for him to realize his talent elsewhere. And NO - RW McQuarters is NOT GOOD and all he does for NY is field punts. I'm not sure he is any better than what we have and he certainly was NOT first round worthy when we drafted him. Again - you guys have short-term selective memory - Derek Smith was the cornerstone of our defenses earlier in this decade and those teams did win a lot of Ball Games and a Playoff game. He also played 5 seasons next to Julian Peterson so you cannot give one of them credit for "wins" without the other. I don't understand your argument there. D Smith was a very good LB for the Niners from 2001 to 2005. That's five solid seasons - Period end of argument!!

Posted By: Berger (13/02/2008 12:20:28 PM)
Comment: The real problem is the coach. When you have a talented player you find a way to get him into the lineup. Nolan uses Fields to back up BY when he doesn't penetrate. He should be a NT. He is 320lbs. Sopoaga should've been BY's back up. Or better yet, started over Douglass. He moves better than most 325lb athletes I have ever seen. Surely Walsh could've used a guy like Sope. Can you imagine Jeff Stover playing for Mike Nolan. It would've never happened. He was undisciplined and a major gap shooter. Nolan had a guy like that, Anthony Adams. He let Adams go. One gappers are needed to get to the QB. Walsh would find guys with talent and find a way to use it. Walsh would say, "Don't tell me what his weakness is, tell me how he can help us win". With Nolan it is about plugging players into his system. With little exception, you fit his vision of you or good-bye. Typically, you need to draft two D-linemen to get one, even in the 1st round. If you have an existing player with a talent, find a way to use that talent. That is Nolan's fault that he has not honed this talent. And now, as with the WR poisition, it is back to drawing board. I guess it is time to draft two more to get one, and with Nolan that means no D-line in the first two rounds. Which means drafting 3 or 4 to get one. Or I guess we can always get a 2nd or 3rd stringer from Baltimore. Some of you seem to be very happy with that.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 12:13:37 PM)
Comment: Jon in SoCal ....why would yu think clements 80mil was annoying?....some other team would have signed him for 81mil....you don't think A.Samuel is getting more than 80mil?...its business not annoyance ....get the Dline fixed and that 80mil will be chump change.

Posted By: StonerLab (13/02/2008 12:13:32 PM)
Comment: oneniner, Don't get me wrong I would love for Soap to stay. I'm just saying the 49ers need to be smart about who they're going to keep & who they're going to go after in FA based on upside. What I mean by upside is weighing the Pros & Cons on players based on how old they are? or what kind of an productivity can we get from a player in the next few years?. oneniner you mentioned Wilson in Pitt doing well but he is few & far between doing good when you consider how many players Nolan has let go since he's got here & have done nothing since being let go. As for Justin Smith being able to do alone if we are fortunate to get him in FA. Not 1 player can do it alone as you know, he's would just be 1 piece of the puzzle. I mentioned in Matt's last article that the 49ers drafted a few D-lineman in last year's draft, well it's time to see what we have there don't you think? Coupled with what we can do in FA & this years draft I really feel we can be better as a whole on the D-line even if Soap & Douglas walk.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (13/02/2008 12:05:35 PM)
Comment: Issac Sopanga, highest paid 49er at 8-9mil a season. You thought the Clements 80 mil stuff was annoying? Wait till this breaks. BTW the top DT in salary Robertson, Dewayne DT $7,391,369 Sapp, Warren DT $6,297,000 Griffin, Cornelius DT $6,166,333 Haynesworth, Albert DT $6,041,669 Coleman, Roderick DT $5,917,500 The top paid in cap hit is Pat Williams @ close to 18 mil. DE Peppers, Julius DE $12,437,500 Taylor, Jason DE $9,519,625 Smith, Justin DE $8,644,000 Kearse, Jevon DE $7,063,890 Strahan, Michael DE $6,728,285 the top in DE cap hit is Peppers @14mil One rumor is that we'll go after Justin Smith. I don't think we can afford him and Soap.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 11:54:30 AM)
Comment: Stonerlab... if douglas is leaving, why not sign Justin Smith to replace douglas and resign soap.......Justin Smith can't do it alone

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 11:49:59 AM)
Comment: Mike in SF #2....what about T.Owens,...I think we call agree wilson is doing good in pittsburgh and the CB in new york is doing good also. The bottomline is if you let Soap go we are weak on the Dline, which was already weak last season. ...the reason i say sign him is....we drafted the guy and he was considered a project, before last yr Soap was considered a back-up and now he his considered a player you can rotate in a starting line up. It's obvious the guy has grown, why let some other team benefit from our development of SOAP.......again its not like there is someone out there better than him in free agency......and about D.Smith yea sure he tackled but did he make an impact in terms of the team winning?

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (13/02/2008 11:49:27 AM)
Comment: StonerLab - you nailed this one!! Let me add this to the argument: Soap had the benefit of playing next to B.Y. who was constantly game planned against and double teamed throughout the year. Add in Douglas' solid year and Soap would have been the third D Lineman you had to worry about on an already underachieving D-line. He should have had a bigger impact. The Soap I have watched since he was drafted after setting the NFL combine bench press record has been inconsistent and nothing more than a guy full of potential, but not realizing it.

Posted By: StonerLab (13/02/2008 11:41:42 AM)
Comment: I'm with Jon in SoCal. The 49ers need to be very careful about how much money they're willing to commit in keeping Soap because we have alot of holes to fill. To answer Berger's question on why the 49ers didn't offer him an extention last summer is plain & simple. Soap had not made enough of an impact in his development to command an extention. As some of you had stated in your posts is that Soap is not consistant enough. Yes he had improved some this year but to give him 4-6 mil per yr. contract now would be crazy in my opinion, and you can put Douglas in there as well who I believe is on the down side of his career. People have to remember that Soap was a part time player last year & because of that there simply isn't enough body of work to justify giving him that kind of money. Now if the 49ers are going to spend that kind of money then they really need to go after a "proven player" like Justin Smith from the Bengals who I believe will be available in FA. He's a Pro Bowler & he's still fairly young with a motor that has 1 speed & that is fast. 49er Empire, your thoughts?

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (13/02/2008 11:34:02 AM)
Comment: Ben - you need to get your facts straight and try to avoid having such a selective short-term memory. D Smith was one of the better Niners FA signings of the past decade. He came to the Niners for the 2001 season and had five straight 16 start 100+ tackle years before he was slowed by his eye injury in 2006. He also played with Julian in San Francisco for 5 full seasons. The list of "talent" we have let go that had productivity elsewhere in the NFL has ONE, yes only ONE name: Julian Peterson. Otherwise that list is full of career underachievers like A. Plummer, J Winborn, B Lloyd, K Barlow, J Webster and on and on and on. Sorry to knock you and Oneniner, but you guys are just flat out wrong on this one.

Posted By: AJ (13/02/2008 10:56:04 AM)
Comment: Why dont we just tag sop as our franchise player? wouldn't it be worth it to keep him around another year till we can get another prospect at NT?

Posted By: Ben (13/02/2008 10:22:38 AM)
Comment: I agree with oneniner, I am sick of developing players and then just allowing another team to swoop them up. Remember when we signed Derek Smith to a rather large contract and let JP go!? What a mistake that was, Derek is on the brink of folding it in, and JP is going to the Pro Bowl. Plus what did we get for signing Derek Smith? A one eyed cyclops? McNolan shouldn't of let it get to this point. Now, we won't overpay for Sop, and were gonna get stuck with a no-namer. Isn't it obvious we need good D-Line men? Wow...I guess another year without ANY pass rush, allowing the opposing quarterback to cut up our "good" secondary.

Posted By: Berger (13/02/2008 10:11:36 AM)
Comment: The biggest problem with Sope being played out of position was BY was already at DE, he wasn't taking that spot. And Nolan felt he could be a NT. A lot of us did. Sope had to sit out his first year with a back injury and then learn to play DL without penetrating. But, while Dallas went out and got 3 NTs, we have 2, and that is debadable. One, who we now know, is a DE and another who should be a back-up. Let's get the NT position fixed or go back to the 4-3. BTW- Sope has not created any waves, he is just waiting for an offer. If the 49ers don't, somebody will be happy to make him a rich man. This is just another DL bungle. It never ends. It is the same problem Nolan seems to have as WR and OL. Maybe with the new trigger(McCloughan) things will start getting better. We as fans can only continue to be frustrated, for now.

Posted By: tgflynn (13/02/2008 9:51:25 AM)
Comment: I think that when they decided Sopoaga was worth keeping they should have signed him for a couple of years at a reasonable price to see exactly what they had. Having misses that boat, it really leaves hard choices. Sop has made some spectacular plays, no doubt, but has hardly been a dominate force so far. Is he a NT or a DE. At this stage, how much better than a guy like Fields is he at NT. Is he a better prospect than MacDonald at DE. The prospects in the draft for NT are pretty bleak but Merling, Sims and Balmer look like they all could be good DE in a 3-4, I say leave the decisions to Mc that's why he got the big bucks.

Posted By: Reno Roy (13/02/2008 9:27:17 AM)
Comment: It seems that Matt's comments answer a few questions that continue to be asked. Sopoaga played about 40% of plays behind Franklin. After a rough start, he played well at the end of the season (salary drive?). If you're going to franchise, or over pay someone, it shouldn't be on 'spec'. Maybe the defensive coaches know something, having watched and coached him over the course of mini-camps, training camps and the season. If you franchise someone, it's because that player has shown over time that he is a consistently dominant player, not someone who turns it on when it is beneficial to his negotiating position. If other teams want to over pay, let them. I'd rather have someone who is maybe not as physically dominant but gives consistent, high energy effort than someone who should be dominant, but chooses to turn it on only when it suits him. Now, that being said, I defer to Berger in that Sopoaga possibly wasn't used in a way that optimized his abilities. If so, then that is on the coaches for trying to impose a system instead of devising a system that fits the personnel. Still, it's funny how someone like BY was around for 14 years through many head coaches, coordinators and systems and consistently played at the highest level. BY in his prime is someone you franchise, or over pay for. Not Sopoaga.

Posted By: Razoreater (13/02/2008 9:25:24 AM)
Comment: look, the draft is loaded w/dt&ot-this guy is just trying to take advantage of the situation-if he wont stay on for a very reasonable $tag then hasta la bye bye

Posted By: Berger (13/02/2008 9:24:15 AM)
Comment: Jon-to finish answering your question, If we re-sign Sope, that is one draft pick that can go somewhere else, but from looking at my previous post I think you can see you can never have too many defensive linemen. But, we still need a WR, OL, NT and unfortunaley, even more. You know, Nolan is going on year 4. He had a lot of holes to fill when he got here. He got a pass for two years and last year had to use 4 starting QBs. Any time you use 4 QBs you get a pass. As a fan, the free pass period is over. We are still unsettled at DL, still need a front line WR, still have holes at OL, and need a LB. When do the wins start? Don't go backwards by letting a bird in the hand get away for someting in the bush you might not get, or might not be as good if you get it. I would like to re-sign Sope and Douglass, but Douglass is 31. I understand what is going on with Douglass, but I am perplexed at what we are doing with Sope.

Posted By: Berger (13/02/2008 9:05:01 AM)
Comment: I'm not advocating franchising Sope. I'm disappointed we didn't offer him an extension last summer, I'm more diappointed we didn't offer him an extension when we offered one to Hill. Now I think offering him 4M/3yrs is resonable. BY got about 8M last year, Sope is not BY but can take his place and do a good job of it. I don't know what alignment we are going to run this comming year, but Sope can play 3-4 DE and 4-3 DT very well. Let us take a look at an historical season. 1984. The 49ers ran a 3-4 base, but in the Super Bowl we had to go to a 4-2-5 in the first quarter when Miami took a 10-7 lead with their great passing game. On the D-line we had Manu Tuiasosopo, Dwaine Board, Larwence Pillars, Fred Dean, Michael Carter, Gary(Big Hands) Johnson, Louie Kelcher, Jeff Stover and Jim Stuckey. That is a lot of money spent on D-line, especially for a 3-4 defense. Good thing we had them when we had to turn up the heat or the 49ers do not win Super Bowl XIX. I think spending some money on a player we know can help us in a starting role is prudent. We spent 4 years developing a raw talent, now that he is ready to shine I would hate to see it be for somebody else.

Posted By: steveh (13/02/2008 8:56:17 AM)
Comment: what about the niners screwing the whole league by signing clements to 80 million?

Posted By: Jake (13/02/2008 8:47:20 AM)
Comment: Switch back to the 4-3 Defense. It's a better defense against the run and the 49ers can't get enough pressure in the 3-4 with their lack of end play.

Posted By: oneniner (13/02/2008 8:37:50 AM)
Comment: pay the guy.....he can play both de and dt, i am tired of developing guys in ninerland and having another team benefit from them.

Posted By: Robert (13/02/2008 8:30:01 AM)
Comment: Matt- You said so yourself, the guy can't take on the Center and Guard consistently (which is his primary job). Hopefully the 49ers let him go.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (13/02/2008 8:28:52 AM)
Comment: So here's another question for those of you who want to franchise Soap. It will cost us between 6.3 and 8.8 mil in 2008(DT or DE, and you know his agent is going the DE route)without bonuses to franchise him. He now becomes the highest paid player on the 49ers BY FAR...higher than Nate, higher than JJ, higher than Alex, higher than Gore. Matt's point is that Ratliff is a similar player from a production standpoint. At what point does it not become a good investment? Berger: So does this change our drafting plans? Assuming we sign Soap to a reasonable contract and have him as a DE, do we then look for a NT in the draft? I've thought Simms would be a decent project, and he could/should be available for our second pick.

Posted By: Niner Dog (13/02/2008 8:23:47 AM)
Comment: The Niner coaches know something we don't--probably that Sop is inconsistent! Once you overpay for an average to good player, you're on your way towards CAP trouble. Every dollar needs to count when it comes to signing players. Yes, the Niners need defensive line help--I see at least a Free Agent signing--emphasizing the pass rush and at least 1-2 draft picks. So, I don't think the Niners are as bad off as it seems. I also think that the Defensive Coordinator--Manusky--knows something. And he knows if if has some pieces he can make it work! Especially with solid LBs. Once the Niners get a pass rush, things will change dramatically!!!

Posted By: Robert (13/02/2008 8:21:02 AM)
Comment: Hi Matt, I know it's been said that the 49ers don't intend on using the franchise tag this off season, but doesn't Soap's situation warrant it? If it's true and free agency is week this year for defensive lineman it would make sense to me to just slap the tag on him this year and prevent any team from over paying for him, including the Niners. While at the same time we get one more year to determine his true worth. Then next year the competition between teams to sign him shouldn't be so tight. I'm not sure how much money the tag would cost us but I'm sure it's a lot less. Just my two cents, your thoughts...

Posted By: Ian (San Jose) (13/02/2008 1:55:26 AM)
Comment: Everyone against franchising Sopoaga is really missing the point. As Matt pointed out in the article, this is about supply and demand. Sure, we may pay more Sopoaga is technically worth to keep him...but what is the alternative??? You let him go and you will be down to one NT on your roster with BY retired and Douglas possibly leaving. THe 49ers will then hope to land someone in the FA market...you know what will happen? We'll end up signing someone not as good as Sopoaga and paying him the same or maybe more. And those of you with a pipe dream of drafting Ellis or Dorsey...how can you guarantee that they'll be there when the 49ers pick and second, how can you accurately predict that Ellis or Dorsey will turn out to be good or better than Sopoaga?

Posted By: e from A town (13/02/2008 12:29:49 AM)
Comment: Listen to Berger, the better the D-line the better the D-fence. Just look at the Superbowl winning Giants. Sopo is the only option we have, so pay the man.

Posted By: mikeyboy (13/02/2008 12:21:30 AM)
Comment: Sopoaga is going to be a future stud. We need to keep him. He has yet to reach his potential, and with BY gone, he will have more playing time to shine. He is a beast in the middle with a lot of power and quickness.

Posted By: JoFrMo (12/02/2008 11:15:05 PM)
Comment: Berger has good points.<br> Soap is an ideal 3-4 DE: Overpowered and big, mobile upfield push you need in a 3-4, while the NT is a giant. He's a good 3-4 NT by virtue of his power, ideally u'd want more size so he's not a perfect 3-4 NT but penetration and power benefits the defense, nonetheless, so he would more than adequate. He's the bird in the hand. Also, the niners seem to like to play the 3-4/4-3 flex with a Dlineman or LB who can play either (read Julian Peterson, Andre Carter, etc..), Soap would make a great DE in those situations, where he had outside blitz help on the line. We would get so many sacks and runs would be done on that side. Sometimes he blows through and leaves a gap the runner can exploit, it needs ILB help. Soap doesn't have the 4-3 DE pass rush capability; He's power, not agility.

Posted By: JoFrMo (12/02/2008 10:58:27 PM)
Comment: Given that BY has retired, i think it would be quite prudent to pay well, lock up and play most every down (penetration at End isn't bad either given we play with 4 down players often..), the sole remaining very good Terry Donahue pick (JP's gone) who looks like a telephone pole shot out of a cannon going upfield, who has to be doubled, who disrupts the run to his side if he's on one, who had major back surgery and works out with giant logs. <br> Prudent. Plus it's good business and not keeping him is being cheap. <br> Get rid of Alex Smith who is the highest paid player on the team at like 9-11 mill a year for the next three years for no performance in the last three years. <br> If I tried to make the argument that the reason the Niners haven't won more games this year was because we chose Alex over Hill at the start of the year, could you refute me?

Posted By: Berger (12/02/2008 10:36:02 PM)
Comment: Jon-Good question, and there is no doubt it is Sopoaga. But I say he is a 3-4 DE, and will be a good one. He could be a good NT but Nolan doesn't let him penetrate so it seems to frustrate him; therefore, put him at DE and watch him throw people around. That seems to be Sope's mentality. Standing there and holding the point is not his game. And that is the main reason he seems to be inconsistent, plus the fact that he actually has been a little inconsistent. But that is because at Hawaii he was told to just get in the backfield, he was so strong, that was easy and he didn't need to learn much technique. He is really starting to understand technique lately. So, if you play him at his more natural spot, you will be happy he is on your team. There are not many 325lb players with his quickness. And he is one of the strongest players in the NFL. Anthony Adams is a good one gapper. I would've liked to have kept him for situational pass rushing. He always got good penetration and we need pass rushers. But your right, he was not a NT, and that is what they wanted him for.

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (12/02/2008 10:22:24 PM)
Comment: Keep your eyes open for Kenny King/DE Baltimore. Another Nolan guy that might be had on the cheap if Suggs gets tagged. He's in the same experience group as Soap, strictly a 4th Yr guy DT/DE, (290?). Not sure what he's all about, just happened to see him on the unrestricted list recently and plays with Suggs. It's good to be talking personnel changes again, retool, regroup, and hopefully improve the performance.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (12/02/2008 10:19:32 PM)
Comment: sorry about the dbl post, 'puter issues

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (12/02/2008 10:18:19 PM)
Comment: If Soap is the the key to turning this around, pay the man. But I better see him #1 on the depth chart and start every freakin' game. If Coehn and Oliver aren't right for the defense, or can't contribute, get rid of them. Anthony Adams was let go because he didn't fit our scheme. Nolan needs to commit to the 3-4 and clean house ala Parcells and McCloughlin needs to draft better instead of wasting a 4th rounder on a guy who can't contribute.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (12/02/2008 10:08:57 PM)
Comment: I am just saying that we have so many holes that spending a tremendous amount of money on one player isn't responsible. If we can't replace him, then don't let him walk. If he is the key to turning this around, then move him to DE or demote Franklin. Soap should start EVERY SINGLE FREAKIN' GAME (or at least be #1 on the depth chart). Pay him and make him earn his money. If Cohen and Oliver aren't going to help us at all, get rid of them. That's what happened with Anthony Adams. He was a DL that didn't fit our scheme. I wish Nolan would just commit to a 3-4 and clean out everyone that doesn't fit ala Parcells. I don't think we are going to be able sign both Soap and Douglas. Berger, who would you rather have?

Posted By: Marco from Stockton (12/02/2008 10:08:26 PM)
Comment: He has been inconsistent from the start of his career. At times he plays well but I don't think he is worth 4 million a year.

Posted By: Berger (12/02/2008 9:20:31 PM)
Comment: Sope is better than Franklin, but Franklin is an ex Baltimore Raven. Franklin does not push upfield. For some reason, Nolan likes that. Franklin can't play DE, Sope can. Saying Cohen can take Sope's spot is an absolute joke. I'll pretend I didn't read that. Oliver is a 4-3 DE. We do not have a player on our roster to replace Sopoaga. Furthermore, 4M probably is a home town discount. If you want to continue to lose, let players like this get away.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (12/02/2008 9:06:17 PM)
Comment: Also, Soap is not Dorsey or Ellis. I think any GM would take those 2 over Soap any day, I would.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (12/02/2008 9:05:05 PM)
Comment: Don't overpay for Soap!! If we can get a hometown deal, then fine, but we can't afford a big time salary for a part-time playa. He got a bit of a push up field, but he isn't consistant. That's been his problem, consistancy. If we can get the same production out of Cohen or Oliver then let him walk. The question is if we can replace or improve that position at a same price.

Posted By: Wi49er (12/02/2008 8:53:51 PM)
Comment: It's also hard to pay your back up more money than your starter. Once you do that I think the starter starts to think why should I play my best when my back up is making more. We'll see soon enough though.

Posted By: WI49er (12/02/2008 8:51:24 PM)
Comment: First, finally. I still don't think thay should spend that much money on him when they have alot of other needs to address as well.

Posted By: Berger (12/02/2008 8:48:05 PM)
Comment: It was easy to tell when Sopoaga was in the game, he was the one getting a bit of a push upfield. The only other D-lineman to get a push on the 49ers was BY. Pay Sope the money. He is worth 4M per year because he can play DE and NT in the 3-4, and DT in the 4 man line. He is young, strong and just starting to come into his own. Thanks for the info Matt.